Sweet Holy Pirate God Look At This Game

Leaky studios don’t necessarily sink games. Ubisoft had a leak (since plugged) that released footage of an upcoming game that has some fans of high stakes, high seas adventures celebrating like drunken sailors on shore leave. Ubisoft, the maker of the Assassin’s Creed series, had originally teased this game back at E3 in 2018. The search for the best ever pirate game continues and for some players, this could be it. Me, that player is me. I cannot wait for Skull and Bones.

If you love pirate games, can I get an “Arrrr-men”? The leaked footage teased some very exciting elements. Here’s what we know so far: 

The game is going to be live-service. Think games like Fortnite or Animal Crossing in the sense that the developers keep introducing new content (ie, storylines, missions, and cosmetic items) over the course of the game’s lifespan. This game definitely has a fraught history. Skull and Bones began as an expansion to the hit 2013 game Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Since its inception it’s been re-titled, re-imagined, and generally stuck in development hell. A lot of Ubisoft fans have lost hope that this will actually be a good game; there have been departures from the team and it's been unclear what the focus of the game would eventually be. But it seems like Ubisoft has sailed through those stormy seas and emerged with a game that’s shaping up to be exactly what Doctor Davy Jones ordered. 

The footage shows the heartbeat of the game will be crafting and multiplayer. Pillaging ships and raiding deserted islands with your crew to find resources to better your ship? Sign me the heck up. Bringing the smooth, delicious, pirate-y ship combat and the oh-so satisfying crafting  of Black Flag into a multiplayer game is going to be a whale of a good time. 

Perhaps most excitingly, you’ll be able to customize your very own pirate king. The cosmetic trappings of modern AC are a blast and being able to bring a truly unique character into a world with other players in real time has me saying “Aye matey, aye.” Who cares if it’s not the most historically accurate depiction of pirates? There’s lots of haters out there wishing Ubisoft would just make another Black Flag. But it’s time to expand our horizons me hearties, it’s time to take to the high seas, together.